blessed be the dishes,
stacked crooked in the sink,
silent witnesses to another day survived.
the cup i drank from,
the plate left half-finished,
the spoon forgotten beside the bed.
small evidence that life continues
despite the ache.
i wash them one by one,
watching warm water carry away
what it can.
some stains leave easily.
others take longer.
like grief,
like memory,
like you.